Lawlor calls on people of Kildare North to encourage friends and relatives to get involved in The Gathering 2013

Every community in Ireland can play its part in bringing people home and helping Ireland along the road to recovery

Fine Gael TD, Anthony Lawlor, has called on the people of Kildare North to get behind what will be the biggest tourism initiative ever held in Ireland, The Gathering 2013, the aim of which is to reach out to the 70 million strong global Irish family and encourage them to play a part in Ireland’s recovery.

“Next year will see the biggest tourism event in Irish history taking place; a year long event celebrating Ireland and its people, here and abroad, and the bond that unites us together. The aim of the Gathering is to reach out to the Irish diaspora and to bring 325,000 extra visitors home.

“The Gathering will comprise a series of already well-established but enhanced festivals, such as the New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Festivals taking place. A number of new events will also be held to celebrate Irish food, our rich sporting culture and of course Riverdance with the launch of John McColgan and Moya Doherty’s new show. Encouraging more visitors to Ireland will act as a massive boost to the economy and will help us further along the road to recovery; but we all must play our part.

“For the initiative to be a success every community, every town and every village needs to get involved. By organising local family, school, cultural, sporting or musical gatherings and asking overseas friends and relatives to come home we can make 2013 not only a record year for tourism but for reconnecting Ireland and her people.

“Businesses, clubs and local organisations are being called on to plan special events and to highlight what is great about each local community, acting as an incentive for people to visit. The Irish diaspora will also play a critical role in enticing friends to join them in experiencing and celebrating everything Ireland has to offer.

“The Government wants everyone to be part of The Gathering and to take pride in Ireland and in being Irish. Despite the fact that the economic road ahead is a long one, we still have much to be proud of. By reaching out to our friends and relatives overseas and asking them to pay us a visit next year, we each have a great opportunity to play our part in our Ireland’s recovery and in restoring our country to greatness.”